To be a Human
by YuseiDarkUmbreon
Summary: Mew makes a mistake with fate that accidentally changes the lives of two Eevee living in Hoenn, letting one live out his ultimate dream while the other is changed into the human that allows that dream to occur.


This is a collab between myself and animatedrose of both FanFicNet and deviantArt.

* * *

"...Oops."

"Mew, what did you do?"

"I kinda...messed up fate a bit," the pink psychic cat admitted sheepishly, looking over his shoulder at Arceus. "But it was necessary! I swear!"

"Necessary...how?" Arceus questioned, unamused.

"Can you just trust me? It's necessary!" Mew declared. "I just...kinda...did it wrong."

"Then learn to do it right," Arceus grumbled, walking away.

"What? Wait! Help me fix this!" Mew yelped, terrified.

"You broke it. You fix it. There's no better way to learn how than by experience, right?" Arceus commented, unphased by the cat's yelling. "Call me when you're done. Try not to blow up the world while you're at it."

Arceus disappeared within the confines of the Hall of Origin. Mew turned to look at the sphere in front of him, which showed an image of the Hoenn region. It was zoomed in on someplace close to Littleroot Town, where a pair of Eevee were playing. Mew stared at the scene in shock and fear.

"...I'm so screwed," he whimpered.

.o.o.o.o.

"Betcha can't catch me!" the shiny Eevee yelled.

"Oh yeah? Watch me!" the other, not shiny, Eevee yelled back while chasing the boy.

She tore through the grass, chasing her brother around the forest clearing. Somehow, he always managed to stay three steps ahead of her. Their chases usually played out this way. She could never really keep up with him. He was faster than her, but she could take more hits during their play-fights than her brother could.

However, this time was different. For some reason, she felt faster than usual. She was slowly catching up, and her brother didn't even realize it! This was perfect! All she needed now was to be ready…and…she pounced!

She couldn't help but laugh as she hit her brother, sending them rolling across the field together. Wrapped up in their laughter, she never noticed her body had begun to glow...only it definitely wasn't the kind you'd see during an evolution. It was something different altogether.

"G-Gabi?" the brother stammered out, but she could not reply.

Gabi's body was slowly increasing in size. Her vision was lost in a field of white, the light so bright that she was forced to close her eyes to prevent herself from going blind. Her limbs were stretching, the bones suddenly turning into rubber. Her fur was disintegrating and her tail seemed to have shrunk into nothing at all. There was something new on her instead of fur, some strange scratchy cloth stuff. When the light finally died, Gabi collapsed with a whimper on the grass.

"G-Gabi?" asked a now very scared Eevee. He was backing away, growling a little, because the last time he had seen a human was… No, he just couldn't think about it.

The human girl groaned, opening chocolate-brown eyes. Pulling herself upright slightly, she rubbed her head. "Ow... Ted, what was-" She snapped her head up, hearing her brother growling. "Ted? What's wrong? Why are you-"

Then she saw her paw. No, it wasn't a paw anymore. There was no fur and she had five toes instead of three. No, these weren't toes...but fingers.. It was no Eevee paw. It was a...

"What happened to my paw?!" Gabi shrieked, crawling backward on all fours. "My fur! What happened to me?!"

Upon hearing his name, Ted had stopped growling, convinced that it really was still his sister in there. He ran over and nuzzled Gabi's leg. "C-can you hear me?"

"Y-Yeah," Gabi nodded. "W-What just happened? I was glowing and...stuff! How come I'm a human, Ted? I'm scared!"

Tears welled up in her eyes. She was outright terrified.

"H-hey! This could be a good thing! People will think you're my Trainer! And no one can capture humans, right?"

"I don't think they can," Gabi replied nervously. "But Ted, I'm an Eevee! Not a human! How will I walk? I don't think I can do this!"

"…I think you might have to…"

"Why did this happen? Pokemon don't randomly turn into humans! It just...doesn't happen!" Gabi wailed, scrubbing tears from her eyes.

"Well, I guess we'll have to find out..."

"But how?" Gabi sniffled, wiping the fresh tears away. "Ted, I'm scared. I don't want to be a human!"

"I don't want you to be either..." Ted padded softly towards Gabi, headbutting her leg affectionately.

Gabi smiled, picking her brother up and hugging him. "Thanks. But...do you really think going on a journey will help? I don't get it."

"We're certainly not going to find out anything by staying here, are we?"

"I guess," Gabi shrugged, putting the Eevee down. "Okay... I'll try to walk. But don't laugh, okay?!"

"No promises!" Ted stuck his tongue out teasingly.

"Shut up!" Gabi whined, glaring at him coldly.

After a moment of hesitation, the brunette slowly got up on her hands and knees. Bracing herself, she slowly staggered onto her feet...and promptly fell flat on her face. She yelped. And Ted did laugh.

"I told you not to laugh!" Gabi complained, pulling herself back onto her hands and knees. "Arceus, this is hard... How do humans walk like this? It's impossible!"

"They simply put one foot in front of the other while shifting their weight between them, just like we do with both sets. The key is keeping your weight over your back paws, I'd bet."

"...How are YOU so smart about humans suddenly, Ted?" Gabi demanded, slowly getting onto her knees. "Okay, I can stay up like this but on my feet..."

Ted shrugged. "I'm just guessing."

Gabi slowly got up onto her feet and stumbled, pinwheeling her arms viciously to keep her balance. She stumbled about awkwardly, trying not to fall over. It looked kind of like some crazy dance...

Ted couldn't help but continue giggling.

"Stop laughing! It's not funny!" Gabi cried. "I seriously can't keep my balance! How do humans do this without tails? This is crazy!"

"Ah, that I don't know." Ted shrugged. "But you'll get it!"

"You better hope so! Or I'll get put in a zoo as the only human that can't walk right!" Gabi threatened as she struggled to hold her balance. "Whoa! I...I think I almost have it. Just keep your arms out and legs spread and you won't fall! They're like tails! Awesome!"

"I suppose that works... You'll need to learn to walk soon without doing that, though..."

"How come? Humans are weird. I bet they won't suspect a thing if I walk like this!" Gabi bragged. "Not like they'll know I'm an Eevee just by the way I walk..."

"But they'll think you're a very strange human."

"So? I am! I'm an Eevee!" Gabi reminded, hopping about. "Hey, it's getting easier! Maybe this won't be so hard after all, Ted!"

Ted smiled. "That's the spirit, Gabi!"

After a few minutes of hopping around, she was able to do it with her arms down and legs closer together. A while longer had her walking like a normal human. Gabi was completely ecstatic about her progress.

"But Ted, why did this happen? I mean, Eevees don't become people by sheer coincidence, right? There had to be a reason this happened," Gabi commented.

"Of course there is! And you know what? I want to go find out! Think you can run yet?"

"Run? Maybe..." Gabi started running around the clearing. "Oh, wow! Humans can run fast! WHEEEEE-"

Gabi ran smack into a tree, having not seen it in front of her. Cue more laughter from Ted. Gabi fell to the ground, whimpering.

"Ow... Way too fast," Gabi complained, rubbing her nose. It was bleeding slightly.

Ted walked over and pawed at Gabi's arm, wanting to comfort her and nurse his sister's injury. Gabi sat up, rubbing her nose. It was only a little blood, so it stopped within a few minutes.

"Thanks, Ted," she said, smiling at her brother.

"You totally had that coming."

"How? You told me to run! You're to blame!" Gabi argued, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You're the one that didn't watch out!"

"You didn't tell me it was there!" she countered.

"I wasn't the one running towards it!"

"Well, I bet you saw it coming anyway!" she declared.

"I did! And I was thoroughly entertained to watch you run into it!"

"You're supposed to help me, not laugh at me! What if you hit the tree, dumb-dumb?" Gabi demanded, glaring at him.

"You'd probably laugh too, after making sure I'm okay!"

"...Shut up!" Gabi barked, turning away with a huff.

"No, you first," Ted said, sticking out his tongue.

"No, you!" Gabi argued stubbornly.

"Hello? Is somebody out there?"

Gabi screamed, snatching up Ted and leaping to her feet. The bushes in front of them rustled wildly before a strange man came out. He stared at them both in curiosity.

"My goodness! I didn't actually think anyone was out here!" he exclaimed, shocked to see them.

Ted tried to hide behind his sister, scared of the strange man. "Um, Gabi? Who's he?"

"I have no idea," Gabi replied, glaring at the man. She bared her teeth angrily, trying to look intimidating.

The professor looked confused. "Um, ma'am? Why are you baring your teeth at me?"

"Stay away from me and my brother, human!" Gabi hissed angrily.

If she had her ears, they'd have been flattened back in rage. Her tail would have been lashing about. Her fur would've risen, making her look bigger. But now that she was human, she had none of those warning signs. She was just a human girl trying to look intimidating to a man older than her by several decades.

"Brother?" The man looked even more baffled, searching for said 'brother'. "You look to be alone. Are you okay? It's dangerous to be out here on your own. Where do you live?"

"Um, Gabi," Ted poked in. "You're human. Don't forget that."

"Huh?" She looked down at Ted. "Oh, yeah! I forgot!" She looked up at the man. "I'm fine! I live here! Got a problem with it, huma-uh, I mean guy!"

"Uhhh... Okay?..."

"Yeah! I thought so!" Gabi took a fierce-looking stance. "So...scram! Yeah!"

"Look, where are your parents?" the man tried again, looking nervous. "A girl like you shouldn't be out here all on your own. It's dangerous! Wild Pokemon could attack you!"

Ted growled at that thought.

"I'm fine! I have Ted!" Gabi barked, glaring at the man. "I can take care of myself, too! So go away!"

The man looked shocked to see Ted. "An Eevee? Those haven't been sighted in Hoenn before! Especially a shiny! Where did you possibly get it?"

"Ted's a guy! And like I'd tell a stupid huma-uh, guy like you!" Gabi stuck her tongue out at him meanly. "That's my secret! Now go away! Or I'll hurt you!"

Ted jumped on his sister's shoulder, glaring and growling at the human. Normally, he would have attacked the professor on sight but, for some reason, he didn't feel like he should quite yet...

"...I get it!" the man exclaimed.

Gabi jumped on reflex, terrified. "Get what?!" she yelped.

"You're a trainer! And that Eevee is your starter!" the man said, smiling widely. "My goodness, how could I have not noticed? It was so obvious!"

"T-T-Trainer?" Gabi repeated, looking at Ted in shock. _Well...Ted wanted to go on a journey. Humans have to be trainers first, though. Right?_

Ted was suddenly smiling. Then he blinked a couple times.

"That's Birch!" he realized.

"Birch? That's a person, not a tree, Ted!" Gabi whispered, keeping her voice low so the strange man couldn't hear her properly.

"His name's Birch!"

"Why is he named after a tree? That's dumb!" Gabi muttered. "How do you know this guy, anyway? Is he some important human or something?"

"Yeah! He's a professor! He studies us! Kinda like-"

The professor interrupted them. "Who're you talking to?"

"Nobody!" Gabi replied, glaring at him. "You wanted something or what? Spit it out or go away!"

"Do you have a trainer's license?"

"I bet you don't even know what that is!" interrupted Ted.

"...What's that?" Gabi asked, confused.

"Thought so. You need one in order to be a Pokémon trainer! Follow me!"

"Uh..." Gabi looked at Ted, uncertain of whether she should trust the creepy Birch human.

Ted nodded.

Gabi reluctantly followed the Birch human out of the clearing and through the forest. There was a small town ahead of them. Gabi paused briefly, terrified. After a shake of her head and a mental reminder of her current human status, she forged ahead into the town. She froze again within the entrance, eyes wide.

_So...many...humans,_ she thought.

Ted nudged Gabi, reminding her to keep focused on the task at hand. She nodded, slowly scampering after the weird human. They headed toward a large building with weird markings above the entrance. Gabi was skittish, ready to bolt if trouble arose.

"Where are we?" she asked nervously, suddenly wishing she had her big ears back.

"This is the building where starting trainers receive their licenses and starters! Is your Eevee registered to a Poké Ball?"

"...No..." Gabi replied, glaring at the human. "And I'd rather he wasn't! He's not free that way! And I bet it hurts to be stuffed in a tiny ball all the time!"

"Then just capture him once and let him out. It'll prevent other trainers from capturing him."

Gabi bit back a whimper of fear. The thought of somebody catching her brother... Taking him away... Leaving her stuck like this... She looked at Ted, frightened.

"What if he doesn't want to be captured? Can't I do something else?" she asked. "Isn't there anything else I could do?"

"Do it..." said Ted, answering the question for Birch, who was shaking his head at the same time.

"...If you say so," Gabi muttered, surrendering. "Do you...have a spare lying around? I've got none on me. Never used one before, actually."

Birch nodded. "Face that camera and smile, by the way. And what's your full name?"

Gabi did as she was told, looking toward the camera. "...Vee. My name is...Gabi Vee."

"Spell the first name?"

"G-A-B-I," she replied, looking away.

"And the last?"

"V-E-E," Gabi answered. "Like in Eevee..."

"Alright."

A red-and-white object-a Poké Ball, Gabi noticed-was tossed her way. Gabi instantly jumped to the side, letting the sphere bounce off the floor. She looked at it nervously before looking at Ted. She sighed.

"Sorry, I've...never used one before. Don't really like them," she reluctantly admitted, looking helplessly at Birch.

"It's okay... Your Eevee seems to be interested in it, though..."

Ted was already off of Gabi's shoulder. He was sniffing the Poké Ball curiously, looking for its button. All of his fur was standing on end.

"He's never seen one up close before," Gabi admitted, kneeling down beside her brother. "...How do I open it?"

"The button along its seam," the professor and Ted simultaneously replied.

"Why didn't you just press it-" Gabi muttered lowly, glaring at her brother.

She was interrupted by the sound of the ball activating and Ted being sucked into it. Gabi screamed, rearing back in terror. When the ball snapped shut, she lunged and mercilessly stabbed the button with her finger.

"Let him out, let him out, LET HIM OUT!" she shouted.

After a couple of agonizing seconds, the ball dinged, signaling a complete capture. Gabi continued pressing the button until the sphere popped open, releasing her brother in a flash of white light. She didn't hesitate to snatch him up in a crushing hug, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Are you okay, Ted? I'm so sorry!" she cried. "Did it hurt? Was it scary? Oh, please say you're okay!"

"It was actually kinda nice in there," Ted giggled. "If you become a Pokémon again someday, you should try it! It generates an artificial world for you to play around in."

"You mean...it didn't hurt? You weren't crushed in a tiny space?" Gabi asked, wiping away a few tears in confusion.

"Not at all! It would have been scary if someone else were trying to capture me, but I wasn't scared at all!"

Gabi couldn't help but smile. "That's good! I don't want you to get hurt doing this, Ted."

Prof. Birch smiled awkwardly. "You weren't kidding. You really don't know how Poke Balls work, do you?" He received a head shake in response. "...How long were you out there for, Gabi?"

"...Most of my life?" she nervously replied.

"...My goodness," Prof. Birch said after a moment. "Are you sure you're okay? Where are your parents at? Or are you...?"

Gabi swallowed audibly, scared. "...Ou-I mean, MY parents...left a long time ago. They couldn't care for me anymore. Times were rough and...well, it was either stay and die or leave and live. They picked the latter and just...left."

"They abandoned you? In the woods? By yourself?!" Prof. Birch demanded.

"I was okay. I knew how to defend myself. And you can see that I made it just fine. Ted was with me, too!" Gabi argued.

"But that's just...not right! Parents shouldn't ever abandon their kids!" Prof. Birch barked.

"It was either leave me or die trying to keep us all alive!" Gabi snarled, teeth bared and eyes narrowed angrily. "Somebody like _you_ wouldn't understand..."

Professor Birch was taken aback, shocked out of a response. Gabi pulled back, aggression fading. After a moment, she looked away in disgust.

_You're human now, Gabi. Remember that. Of course he wouldn't understand. Humans have everything they could ever want. They don't have to hunt to survive. The only threat to their existence is one another,_ she thought with a frown.

"...So, am I a licensed trainer now? Ted won't get taken away from me for some stupid reason?" Gabi asked, eyes averted from the man in front of her.

"Yes. You need these." Professor Birch handed Gabi a card, five more of the Poké Balls, and a strange red device.

Gabi fingered the red box-like device, treating it like something dangerous that could reach out and bite her if she wasn't watching it closely enough. "What is it?" she asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"That's a Pokédex! It will tell you more about certain Pokémon if you just aim the camera at the Pokémon. In the case of Pokémon b-registered to you, it'll display information like moves and current stats."

"Okay..." Gabi nodded. "So...now what?"

"My assistant, Evan, is on Route 103 just north of here. Maybe you should go meet him!"

"...Why do I want to meet your assistant?" Gabi asked, confused.

"He'll give you a taste of what being a Trainer is like. A friendly battle."

Gabi sighed. "Okay, I'll go find your assistant. Let's go, Ted."


End file.
